How to Cover Seams in Manufactured Home Walls

Written by brenda priddy| 13/05/2017

(Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images)

One of the problems with a manufactured home is that the wall seams in the drywall are visible. Unless you have a lot of furniture or pictures on the walls, the wall seams can be distracting, especially if you paint the walls in a dark colour. The best way to cover seams in manufactured walls is to use a combination of drywall tape and joint compound. From there you can paint or decorate the wall as desired.

Things you need

Sponge

Degreasing cleanser

Drywall tape

Ready-mixed joint compound

Putty knife

Joint knife

Sanding block

Medium-grit sandpaper

Clean the wall with a soft sponge and degreasing cleanser. Allow the wall to dry completely before applying the tape to the wall seam.

Apply 1/2-inch thick coating of joint compound over the seam in the wall using a putty knife. Try to smooth the compound as much as possible. Feather the ends out toward the rest of the wall to avoid a large bump on the wall. Apply the tape immediately before the joint compound dries on the wall.

Apply the tape starting from the bottom of the wall. Press the tape against the bottom edge of the wall near the baseboard. Gently unroll the paper and travel up the wall. Use the joint knife to smooth the tape against the wall as you work your way to the top of the wall. Tear the end of the paper on the sharp tip of the joint knife next to the ceiling.

Smooth the putty knife over the tape to press it into the joint compound. You want to squeeze out as much of the joint compound as possible from under the tape. Scrape away the mud from the corners of the tape and return the compound to the container.

Smooth the area with a wide joint knife. Apply a second, thin coat of joint compound over the tape to feather the tape and joint compound against the rest of the wall. Allow the joint compound to dry for 12 hours.

Sand the joint compound and surrounding wall when dry to remove any rough areas or uneven sections of joint compound. Use a sanding block to sand the wall evenly.